You are here

Conference of Presidents Leaders Call on UN Member States to Reject Expected UN General Assembly Resolution Opposing US Recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s Capital

Dec 20th, 2017

New York, N.Y. . . . Leaders of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations today called on “responsible UN Member states” to reject a resolution, expected to be presented in the General Assembly tomorrow, which opposes the decision by the United States to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

Stephen M. Greenberg, Chairman and Malcolm Hoenlein, Executive Vice Chairman & CEO of the Conference of Presidents, said, “As with the recent resolution on Jerusalem that did not pass in the Security Council, any similar action in the General Assembly is ill-conceived and counterproductive to efforts to bring about a negotiated end to the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. We have written to many UN Member states today urging them to vote against such a General Assembly resolution.

The U.S. exercised its veto in the Security Council because that resolution directly challenged the U.S. sovereign right to recognize Israel’s capital and choose where to locate its embassy. We also note that President Trump made clear the decision on Jerusalem did not prejudge any final status issue or foreclose any outcome agreed to in negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians.

The regular stream of biased and condemnatory anti-Israel resolutions adopted in the General Assembly, by UNESCO, the Human Rights Council and other UN bodies, entangle the UN in strategies to evade meaningful negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians. The place for Palestinian grievances to be resolved is at the negotiating table, not at the UN.

It is time for responsible nations to stop using the UN to circumvent negotiations, predetermine the outcome of any future talks and to denigrate Israel’s legitimate and historic claims.

Another one-sided UN resolution will not benefit the cause for peace.”

###

The Conference of Presidents is the central coordinating body representing 50 national Jewish organizations on issues of national and international concern

Support the Conference of Presidents Fund

Every day, the Conference of Presidents Fund works publicly and behind the scenes addressing vital concerns with US and world leaders, key opinion molders and the public about Israel's security and vitality, threats posed by a nuclear Iran, global terrorism, anti-Semitism and the delegitimization campaign, making a critical difference at home and abroad.